Luton Town Football Club is an English professionalfootball club based in the town ofLuton,Bedfordshire. Rising back to thetop flight ofEnglish football for a season in1974–1975, the remainder of the decade was spent in thesecond tier.David Pleat's appointment as manager in 1978 prompted the development of a strong team that wonpromotion after the1981–1982 season; Pleat consolidated Luton's position in the top tier before leaving in 1986.Ray Harford's Luton team subsequently achieved a 3–2 victory overArsenal in the1988League Cup Final, before settling for runners-up medals at the next year'sFinal after losing 2–1 toNottingham Forest. Luton Town wererelegated from the top flight after the1991–1992 season, after ten successive seasons as a top division club.
The team made anFA Cup semi-final appearance in1993–1994, once again under Pleat, before suffering a second relegation in 1995. Luton were relegated to thefourth tier in 2001, but underJoe Kinnear bounced back at the first attempt.Mike Newell became manager in 2003, and led Luton to theFootball League Championship before he was sacked in 2007. Three successive relegations and a total of 40 points deducted over the latter two seasons for financial irregularities saw Luton Town relegated fromThe Football League into theConference Premier at the end of the2008–2009 season. They remained in the fifth tier for five seasons, until winning promotion with a club-record 101 points in2013–2014.
Luton were promoted fromLeague Two andLeague One in successive seasons in2017–18 and2018–19 before being promoted to the Premier League in the2022–23 EFL Championship play-off final.[1]
Malcolm Macdonald took his goalscoring form into1970–1971 as Luton did extremely well in their first season back in theSecond Division, finishing sixth and only seven points away from promotion to theFirst Division.[2] However, success on the pitch was not matched off it – April saw the club announce a £173,116 loss, and the club appealed to the supporters for money to cover their shortfalls.[3] In the end, it was Macdonald himself who ended the crisis as he was sold toNewcastle United for £180,000 a month later.[4]
Two years in mid-table followed Macdonald's sale, as Luton finished first 13th,[5] then 12th.[6] In 1972 managerAlec Stock moved on to be replaced byHarry Haslam.[7] Luton managed a second-place finish in1973–1974 which saw them promoted, but only managed a solitary year in the top flight, as1974–1975 ended with relegation by a single point.[8][9] December 1975 saw another serious financial crisis at the club, with aspecial meeting called for the club'sshareholders. The refusal of the club's bankers to extend theircredit led to Luton's directors paying the wage bill with their own money to prevent the club from being closed down. Liquidation was averted by the sale ofPeter Anderson toRoyal Antwerp, with the £80,000 raised alleviating the strain on the club's finances.[10][11] Despite these backroom problems, Luton still managed a creditable seventh-place finish in1975–1976.[12]
The next season saw Luton finish sixth,[13] before a drop to 13th in1977–1978 prompted Haslam's departure toSheffield United.[7][14] This gave the young assistant manager,David Pleat, his chance.[15] The club came close to the drop during Pleat's first full season in charge but, following the shrewd acquisition of a number of key players, the club were soon challenging for promotion once again.[16] Pleat's astute signings, includingMal Donaghy,David Moss andcaptainBrian Horton, complemented the existing home-grown talent personified by skilfulmidfielderRicky Hill and prolific goalscorerBrian Stein. Pleat even dabbled in the overseas market, signingYugoslav defenderRaddy Antić fromSpanish clubReal Zaragoza in 1980.[17] Luton came sixth,[18] then fifth,[19] and then romped home as champions in1981–1982, spending only one week off of the top spot from October onwards, amassing 88 points and clinching the championship eight points ahead of second placedarch-rivalsWatford.[20]
Under Pleat, the club had developed a cavalier and attacking style of play, which was evident during1982–1983 as Luton finished with the second highest tally of away goals, only one less thanchampionsLiverpool.[21] On the last day of the season, Luton needed all three points against relegation rivalsManchester City atMaine Road to stay in the division. City, needing only a point to avoid the drop, defended resolutely and few chances came to Luton – but with only seven minutes remaining, substitute Raddy Antić slammed home the winner to secure Luton's top flight status and prompt a manic and now infamous jig across the pitch from Pleat.[22] The next two seasons saw Luton consolidate as the club finished first 16th,[23] then 13th in1984–1985 as they also reached theFA Cup semi-finals.[24] Player sales continued as skilful forwardPaul Walsh, thePFA Young Player of the Year,[25] was sold toLiverpool in the summer of 1984.[26]
1983–1984 brought an excellent first half of the season for Luton, whose 3–0 win atNotts County onBoxing Day had seen them occupy third place in the league, putting them just five points behind leaders Liverpool and sparking hopes of a title challenge.[27] However, their form during the second half of the season was less impressive, and by the time of a 5–0 home defeat againstManchester United on 12 February 1984 they were ninth in the league and looking increasing unlikely to qualify for theUEFA Cup, let alone win the league title.[28] Luton's form continued to decline, and they finished the season in 16th place – just three points clear of the relegation zone.[29]
December 1984 saw the arrival of attackerMick Harford fromBirmingham City.[30] 13 March 1985 saw aninfamous riot byMillwall supporters before, during and after anFA Cup sixth-round tie, which caused noticeable damage to the ground and the surrounding area.[31] The club reacted by imposing an unpopular[32] ban on all away supporters from Kenilworth Road, as well as introducing a scheme that would require even home supporters to carry membership cards to be admitted to matches.[33] Luton did manage to beat Millwall 1–0, to book a semi-final clash withEverton on 13 April atVilla Park. Everton were overwhelmingly expected to win the game, as they were in process of winning the league title by a comfortable margin and were also on their way to glory in theEuropean Cup Winners' Cup, but Luton held their own against theMerseyside club, who needed extra time to edge them out with a 2–1 win.[34] On the league scene, Luton finished 13th in the First Division and had never been in any real danger of relegation.[35]
Luton also decided to rip up the grass pitch at Kenilworth Road and install anartificial playing surface before the start of the1985–1986 season. The new surface became exceedingly unpopular and was derided as "the plastic pitch".[36][37] That season, they had the distinction of ending Manchester United's 10-match winning start to the league campaign, holding them to a 1–1 draw at Kenilworth Road in their 11th league game on 5 October 1985.[38]
The end of1985–1986 saw Pleat leave Luton, as he moved on toTottenham Hotspur, but his final season ended on a high with a ninth-place finish.[15] He handed over the reins to coachJohn Moore, who guided Luton to a seventh-place finish in1986–1987, which remains to this day the club's highest ever finish in theEnglish football league system - placing them above the likes ofManchester United andChelsea.
Moore then resigned and was replaced by his assistantRay Harford.[39][40][41]
The1987–1988 campaign was the most successful yet – Luton achieved a famous 3–2 victory overArsenal in theLeague Cup final atWembley. Luton stunned the holders by taking a 1–0 lead early on through Brian Stein, and leading by that score at half time. By the 74th minute Arsenal had overhauled them, leading 2–1, and were still ahead with ten minutes to go with Luton's goal continually under siege throughout the second half. The match spun on its head when stand-in goalkeeperAndy Dibble turnedNigel Winterburn's penalty around the post with ten minutes left – had Winterburn scored, Arsenal would have almost certainly have won the final. In the last seven minutes Luton, galvanised by new self-belief, scored twice to win 3–2, Brian Stein sealing the win with the last kick of the match. On top of this, Luton finished ninth in theFirst Division, reached theFA Cup semi-finals before falling to eventual winners Wimbledon at White Hart Lane, and played at Wembley in theSimod Cup final againstReading, but lost 4–1. The League Cup triumph, still Luton's only major trophy, would have been enough forUEFA Cup qualification; but at this time all English teams were banned fromEuropean competitions due to theHeysel Stadium Disaster three years earlier.[42][43]
During the 80's, Luton often visitedSweden for training camps and friendly matches. In 1988, they met the newly formed teamVästerviks FF and won 2–1.[44]
The1988–1989 season saw Luton slide down to a 16th-place finish, although they did reach another League Cup final, losing toNottingham Forest,[45] and, half-way through the season, Luton's key players started being sold off.DanishinternationalforwardLars Elstrup became Luton's record signing in August 1989, costing a club record £850,000, butMick Harford was sold toDerby County in January.[30][46] Ray Harford was sacked in January 1990, with Luton battling relegation, and coachJim Ryan was promoted to manager.[40] Ryan was sacked after 16 months in charge despite managing to keep Luton in the top flight in his first season, and securing survival again inhis second.[47] Both seasons saw Luton escape relegation on the last day of the season, both times against Derby.[48][49]
David Pleat returned for his second spell as Luton boss during the summer of 1991.[15] Elstrup rejoinedOdense for £200,000,[50] andKingsley Black was sold toNottingham Forest for £1,500,000.[51]StrikerIain Dowie andfull backTim Breacker were both sold toWest Ham United for a combined fee of £1,050,000.[51]
Following a shaky start to the1991–1992 season, Pleat took a gamble and re signed Mick Harford, who joined Luton for a second spell as a player for £325,000 in mid-September 1991.[51]Brian Stein had already returned fromFC Annecy for a second spell and Pleat had revived the forward line which had played a big part in Luton's success a few years earlier. Stein scored only three goals in 39 league appearances over the course of the season, but Harford proved to be a success once again as he ended the season as the club's top scorer for the season with 12 goals.[30][52] The loan signing of goalkeeperSteve Sutton from Nottingham Forest revived Luton for a period, but the Board refused to supply the £300,000 fee required to keep Sutton permanently. Various loan signings such as veteran forwardImre Varadi failed to galvanise the side, but come the last day, Luton still had an outside chance of avoiding relegation, having won 10 league games at home but failed to win any of their away fixtures. Luton travelled to already-relegatedNotts County knowing that they had to win their first away match of the season, and hope thatCoventry lost atAston Villa.Julian James gave Luton the lead they required, but two late goals fromRob Matthews saw County drag Luton down with them.[53] This meant the club missed out on competing in theinaugural season of thePremier League and, with it, the larger amounts of money available through television rights.
With Luton's spell in the top flight finally over, it was always going to be difficult to keep hold of prize assets. So it proved when Mick Harford signed forChelsea for £300,000.[30] The first season in the new, three-divisionFootball League almost saw Luton drop into the third tier of English football. The team was not helped by the involvement ofScottish duoPaul Telfer andDarren Salton in a motor accident early on in the season –under-21 internationaldefender Salton was nearly killed, and never played again.[54] Luton were bottom of the table shortly into the New Year, and Pleat reacted by procuring a loan deal to bringLuton-bornEngland internationalKerry Dixon to the club on loan fromSouthampton. Dixon gelled well alongsidePhil Gray up front, and Luton stayed up.[55]
1993–1994 started with David Pleat making Dixon's move permanent, and re-signingMitchell Thomas fromWest Ham United. Although Luton struggled in the league, form was found in theFA Cup –Scott Oakes starred as Luton raced to theFA Cup semi-final and a trip toWembley. 27,500 Luton supporters sawGavin Peacock seal a 2–0 win for Chelsea, and after the semi-final defeat, Luton lost five consecutive league games.[56] However, a 3–2 home win overWest Bromwich Albion earned survival three games from the end of the season, keeping Luton in the second tier for another year.[57]
Luton laboured once again in1994–1995, with the side struggling to score at home. Pleat's Luton side, including young players such as Oakes, Telfer andJohn Hartson, reacted positively when Pleat turned down the advances ofTottenham Hotspur to return to North London as General Manager, and rocketed up to fifth in the table, and for perhaps the first time in three seasons of Division One football, promotion was looking a real possibility. Hartson was bought byArsenal for £2,500,000 soon after – a then-British record for a teenager.[58] The season petered out into obscurity following Hartson's sale, and Luton finished 16th.[59]
Pleat left for a second time in the summer of 1995, moving toSheffield Wednesday.[15] His successorTerry Westley was promoted from youth team coach, but was sacked after just six months in charge.[60]Lennie Lawrence was brought in as a replacement, but he was unable to stop Luton from finishing bottom ofDivision One.[61][62][63]
The1996–1997 season started just as badly as the last, with three straight losses. However, the introduction of young forwardAndrew Fotiadis saw Luton burst into life, as they shot up the table with a run of eight wins and two draws in eleven games.Tony Thorpe, too, proved to be a revelation, scoring 28 goals to become the division's top scorer. Luton were nearly promoted, but finished in third place on goal difference and then lost toCrewe Alexandra in the play-offs.[64][65][66]
The summer of 1997 saw a Luton Town teenager with only two games under his belt,Matthew Upson, sold toArsenal for £2 million.[67] To make matters worse, starforward Tony Thorpe was sold toKevin Keegan'sFulham for £800,000. Just one place off the bottom of Division Two on deadline day, Luton looked doomed – but David Pleat, now Tottenham'sDirector of Football, handed Luton a lifeline –Rory Allen, who had just returned from injury, was sent on loan to the club to complete his recovery and fill Thorpe's boots Allen would do more than that, scoring six goals in his eight matches to keep Luton up.[68]
1998–1999 saw a 12th-place finish, and a run to the quarter-finals of theLeague Cup.[69] Just before the1999–2000 season, the club was sold to Cliff Bassett, while player sales continued to balance the books.[70] Young duoKelvin Davis andChris Willmott were sold toWimbledon for £900,000, and Lawrence was forced to sellGary Doherty late on in the season, but he successfully kept an inexperienced Luton side up once again.[71]
Mike Watson-Challis then purchased the club in 2000,[70] and Lawrence was sacked to be replaced by former Luton playerRicky Hill.[72] Hill was dismissed in November after winning only two games, and in turn was replaced by another former player,Lil Fuccillo.[73][74] FormerWimbledon managerJoe Kinnear was brought in, initially, as Director of Football, but his first act was to demote Fuccillo and install himself as manager.[75] Kinnear brought towering forwardSteve Howard to the club for only £50,000, but despite his best efforts, the club was relegated to the bottom division ofThe Football League for the first time since 1968.[76][77][78]
Joe Kinnear set out his plan for Luton – they were to go back up at the first attempt. He oversaw a complete overhaul of the squad during the summer, building a team that was Luton's finest for some years. MidfielderKevin Nicholls signed fromWigan Athletic for £25,000 and would go on to become a key figure in midfield, earning the club captaincy; a role he would hold for the next five years. Australian defenderChris Coyne signed fromDundee, again for a small fee of £50,000.Steve Howard ended the season by winning theThird Division golden boot award with 24 goals. Ending the season with a club-record 12 consecutive wins, Luton travelled toSwansea City at the end of March knowing that a win would guarantee them promotion back to the third tier at the first attempt. They duly won 3–1.[79]
At the end of the season, star playersJean-Louis Valois andMatthew Taylor both left under thebosman ruling. Valois moved to Scottish sideHearts after only one year in a Luton shirt and Taylor joinedPortsmouth for a tribunal set fee of £400,000.[80][81] Despite these losses, Luton still managed a ninth-place finish back in the third tier of English football in2002–2003.[82]
Partly fuelled by the collapse of broadcasterITV Digital, it was revealed that the club was losing up to £500,000 per month.[83][84] Chairman Mike Watson-Challis sold the club to a consortium headed byJohn Gurney in May 2003 and, days later, both Kinnear and his assistantMick Harford were dismissed.[85] A bizarre series of episodes followed, including the infamous "Manager Idol" phone-vote, an attempt to merge the club withWimbledon, and plans for a 50,000 capacity stadium built on rafters over theM1 motorway, before Gurney was finally ousted by supporters' groupTrust in Luton. Gurney left the club inadministrative receivership, with his only legacy proving to be the appointment ofMike Newell as manager.[86][87][88]
Newell brought Mick Harford back to the club as First Team Coach andDirector of Football shortly after being appointed as manager. Newell surprised all the observers by taking the transfer-embargoed club to a tenth-place finish in2003–2004, although he was not helped by the transfer of strikerTony Thorpe toQueen Park Rangers for £50,000. After a year in administrative receivership, Luton Town finally acquired new owners in May 2004 when a consortium led by former general managerBill Tomlins bought the club.[65][89][90]
2004–2005 saw Luton win nine and draw one of their opening ten league fixtures to go nine points clear at the top of the newly namedLeague One by the beginning of October. Experienced players such as Chris Coyne, Kevin Nicholls and Steve Howard gelled well alongside youngstersCurtis Davies,Keith Keane andKevin Foley to create the template for a championship-winning side. Promotion was secured on 12 April, when third placedTranmere Rovers were beaten 0–1 atBrentford, meaning that Luton could not finish lower than second. The League One title was sealed a fortnight later on 23 April, as Luton claimed a 2–1 victory atWrexham.[91][92]
2005–2006 saw few new players brought in, with the only money spent during the summer being the £100,000 parted with forDavid Bell, amidfielder signed fromRushden & Diamonds.Bosman ruling signings were order of the day, with FinlandinternationalMarkus Heikkinen signing for Luton along withTrinidad and Tobago'sCarlos Edwards. However, transfer deadline day saw star defenderCurtis Davies sold toPremier League sideWest Bromwich Albion for a club record of £3,000,000.[93] Newell's side made a fine start, topping the table after the first three games and staying in the top three right up until the end of October, and the play-off places until mid-December. However, a blip in form saw Luton eventually slip down the table to finish in tenth place – still a remarkable feat. TheFA Cup saw a memorable 5–3 defeat toEuropean ChampionsLiverpool atKenilworth Road.[94]
After a successful start to the2006–2007 season,defenderSol Davis suffered astroke on the team bus on the way to playIpswich Town.[95] With the players clearly affected, Luton lost 5–0 atPortman Road and a long run of bad results followed.[96] By the end of February, Luton, by now a shadow of the side that had won promotion to theChampionship only two years before, were hovering perilously close to the relegation zone.[97]
Newell was sacked on 15 March 2007, and two directors,Martin King and Liam Day, resigned from the board in protest as a result.[98][99]Brian Stein lasted just one game as caretaker boss before Luton-bornKevin Blackwell was announced as Luton's new manager.[100][101] 11 April saw chairmanBill Tomlins resign his position following an investigation bythe Football Association into irregular payments made by the club's parent company, and confirm that illegal payments had been made to incoming players' agents.[102][103]David Pinkney was confirmed as new chairman two days later, also acquiring a controlling interest in the club's holding company.[104] Luton's relegation was confirmed a week later in a 1–0 defeat away toDerby County.[65][97][105][106]
After a poor start to the2007–08 season, the club enteredadministration on 22 November 2007; Pinkney stated he would fund the club's overheads, while ten points were deducted. Meanwhile, the FA probe on transfer irregularities dragged on, described by Pinkney as "astorm in a teacup".[107][108] Blackwell was sacked by the administrator on 15 January 2008, to be replaced by former playerMick Harford.[109][110][111] The club subsequently entered the custody of the Luton Town Football Club 2020 consortium, with broadcaster and Luton supporterNick Owen named chairman.[112] Luton were relegated toLeague Two on 12 April, following a 2–1 home defeat toBrighton & Hove Albion;[113] Luton finished the season in bottom place, though even without the points deduction they would have been relegated regardless.[65][114]
The investigation into the illegal agents' payments was concluded in the summer, and the club was handed a ten-point deduction for the2008–2009 season on 3 June 2008, along with a £50,000 fine. The club's recent history of administrations meant that the Football League only offered to return the Football League Share to Luton on the condition that they play with a further twenty-point deduction. Luton appealed, but lost. Staring down the barrel of a gun, Luton was forced to start the season with a 30-point penalty, the biggest points deduction ever handed to a club in the top four tiers of English football. This made it mathematically difficult to avoid being relegated from the league altogether.[115][116] Luton beatScunthorpe United 3–2 in the Football League Trophy final in front of 40,000 of their supporters atWembley Stadium,[117] but lost theirLeague status eight days later. On 13 April 2009, Luton Town were finally relegated from the Football League after a spell of 89 years, asChesterfield held Luton to a draw. Coupled with a victory for Mike Newell'sGrimsby Town, this meant Luton's survival in the league became mathematically impossible to achieve.[118]
After a disappointing start to non-League football – including a defeat toWrexham described by Harford as "the worst performance in Luton Town's history"[119] – another former Luton player,Richard Money, was made manager in his stead.[120] Performances improved following this change and towards the end of the season a run of nine consecutive victories saw Luton challengeStevenage Borough for the title;[121] Despite beating Stevenage during this run, Luton could only finish second and thus entered the promotion play-offs. Luton lost both legs of the two-legged semi-final 1–0 toYork City,[122][123] resulting in a second successive season outside The Football League in2010–2011.
This second season in non-League football finished with the club third in the table, and another managerial change in March 2011 saw Money leave and his assistantGary Brabin installed as manager until the end of the season. Brabin led Luton to a 5–1 aggregate win over Wrexham in the play-off semi-final to set up a potential place back in The Football League, butAFC Wimbledon beat them 4–3 onpenalties in the final after a goalless 120 minutes.[124] Despite the defeat, Brabin signed a two-year contract to continue on as Luton manager.[125]
After a decline in form towards the end of the2011–2012 season that left Luton outside the play-off places, Brabin was replaced by formerTorquay United andBristol Rovers managerPaul Buckle on a two-year contract.[126][127] Buckle's tenure saw the club qualify for the play-offs with a fifth-place finish and beat Wrexham 3–2 on aggregate in the semi-final, but for the second year running Luton lost in the final, this time in a 2–1 defeat to York City.[128]
The club made history during the2012–2013 season by becoming the first non-League team to defeat aPremier League club in theFA Cup, beatingNorwich City 1–0 atCarrow Road. The club eventually reached the Fifth round of the FA Cup during the campaign, the furthest they had progressed in the competition since the1993–1994 season. Despite this cup run, poor league results led Buckle to leave the club in February 2013 where he was replaced by long-standingDagenham & Redbridge managerJohn Still – the fifth managerial change at Luton in four seasons.[129] Luton finished the season in seventh place and outside the play-offs for the first time since their relegation into theConference Premier.
In the2013–2014 season, under the experienced management of Still, Luton confirmed their return to The Football League by winning the Conference Premier title with three games to spare, breaking several club and Conference records in the process.[130][131] The club's success meant that some matches were played in front of the largest number of home supporters for two decades.[132]
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Before the start of the2014–2015 season, top scorerAndre Gray left to joinChampionship sideBrentford for a fee of £600,000; one of the highest fees the club had received in a number of years.[133] Manager John Still spent little of the windfall and, despite keeping pace with theLeague Two leaders for much of the campaign, the club fell one place short of a play-off position upon their return to the Football League.
In the summer of 2015, the club's owners confirmed their intention to begin a fresh chapter in Luton Town's history by moving away fromKenilworth Road and building a new 17,500 capacity stadium by the beginning of the 2020–21 season at the derelict Power Court area ofLuton town centre.[134][135]
Still was sacked in December 2015 with Luton 17th inLeague Two during the2015–2016 season.[136] He was replaced byWelsh managerNathan Jones,[137] who had beenfirst-team coach at Championship clubBrighton & Hove Albion.[137] Luton finished 11th in the2015–16 table.[138]
In Jones' firstfull season, Luton spent only one week outside the top seven positions,[139] while he also led the club to the semi-final of theEFL Trophy.[140] Luton finished the 2016–17 season in fourth place, but were beaten 6–5 onaggregate byBlackpool in the play-off semi-final.[141][142]
The summer of 2017 saw the club move into new training facilities, which had received heavy investment.[143] Meanwhile, ChairmanNick Owen stepped down after nine years, stating that he felt "unable to dedicate the time and effort that... the role now deserves".[144]
The 2017–18 and 2018–19 seasons saw Luton achieve back-to-back promotions fromLeague Two to theChampionship, including being 2018-19League One champions. (2018–19).[145][146]
Luton achieved promotion to thePremier League the end of the2022–23 Championship season through theplay-off final on penalties againstCoventry City.[1]
In the2023-24 Premier League Season Luton were relegated back to the championship after finishing in 18th.[147]
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